The Motley Moose - Recent Comments

I think the big problem

DTOzone — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:40:31 GMT

is that people still see us as a democracy. We are not and never been a true democracy.

If we were truly a democracy, there wouldn't be a Senate, or if it did exist, it would be as powerful as the House of Lords or the Bundesrat.

Instead, the Senate is the most powerful body in the government, more powerful than the President or the House and the judiciary. The Senate is NOT a democratic institution. It does NOT represent the people, it represents the states. The people of Wyoming, Alaska and Vermont yield much more power than the people of California, New York or Texas, because they are equally represented in the Senate.

We have tried to rectify this situation over time...until 1912, the Senators weren't even popularly elected, chosen instead by the state legislatures.

But as long as the Senate exists, or is more powerful than the House, the United States does not qualify as a true democracy...it is a federal republic.

This has worked and has allowed us to function as a defacto democracy for 200 years because nobody dared abuse the ridiculous rules of the Senate, but it was bound to happen and it has. The opposition party has discovered the long known secret of how to shut down government and make it ineffective. No one dared do it before, because the idea of turning the country into an ungovernable mess was just too much for any true patriot, true American, to consider.

But the Republican Party nowadays are not true patriots. They do not love America unless it yields to their wishes. They are selfish and shameless.

Figured...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:38:04 GMT

You saw that already. And 42% favourables ain't too bad. Looks like Huckabee's gonna' stick with his desk job though. We'll see.

Angling (see what I did there?) for the 2012 vote, is he?

HappyinVT — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:28:32 GMT

BTW, it's kind of you not to point out that a vast majority of Minnesotans don't want Pawlenty to run for prez.

Interestingly Enough...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:24:47 GMT

That has been a heated issue in Australia for at least a decade. We have created numerous coastal 'marine parks' where strict catch limits and fishing permits apply. 'I fish and I vote,' is a common bumper sticker around here. Sigh.

The thing is we were close to depleting our own coastal fisheries with unrestricted commercial and sports fishing.

If the idea of repealing health reform doesn't work for the GOPers

HappyinVT — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:20:37 GMT

they can always go with Obama's fishing ban.

The Obama administration will accept no more public input for a federal strategy that could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outd...

Loved this answer, though.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that he will not, in fact, ban fishing, but the meta-narrative is so irresistible - elitist President Arugula coming to grab the bitter-clingers' rods and reels! - that it simply must be blogged.

http://www.usnewsdot.com/obama...

And...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:18:44 GMT

For any old hands who ever wondered who Nixon's 'silent majority' really were don't read this while drinking:

Romney also said that the Tea Party will greatly impact the 2010 midterm elections. "I'm really pleased that the silent majority is silent no longer," he told Newsmax.
Jeremy Binckes - Mitt Romney To Tea Party: No Third Party Candidacies Huffington Post 9 Mar 10

I nearly spluttered Chardonnay all over my keyboard. And here I was thinking that the Tea Party was just an obnoxious minority. Shows what I know.

Yeah...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:08:18 GMT

We've got to pass that legislation. And soon.

And Given the Fear...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:07:35 GMT

And expectations they have created with their base it makes a great campaign question, "Are you committed to repealing the health care reform legislation if you are elected?"

Heh. Once it is passed and the media starts explaining what is actually in it I'm guessing most Americans would rather have it than not. We'll see.

Heh. Cornyn's backtracking a bit on his Crist endorsement, too.

HappyinVT — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:07:11 GMT

Not sure running on a repeal of health reform will win many more seats than safe-Republican, anyway. But if Dems continue to screw this up...

Yeah...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:00:37 GMT

Usually on a family values platform. On the other hand if a Democrat got down on their knees and prayed for forgiveness we probably wouldn't buy it. Republicans love contrition. It's so, so... Christian.

On Another Topic...

Shaun Appleby — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:57:07 GMT

Has anyone been watching the convoluted evolution of the Republican bloviating, er... strategy, of running in November on repealing health care reform lately? It was confidently asserted quite emphatically by Lamar Alexander a week or so ago, and more recently by Cornyn, although McConnel's position was, well, not so much. Now Cornyn has reversed himself.

Two things of interest, firstly it's as close to admitting Democrats are going to pass the legislation as Republicans have gone, which is nice of them. But it's an insight into their expectations for the midterms and a reality check on the policy. Now they're admitting they won't have the numbers, which is good to know. But I'm wondering if they're even going to campaign on this and doubting it very much. Once the legislation is passed I'm guessing they realise it would be hard to run against. They always seem invlined to expose themselves one way or another.

And we generally resign over our liaisons.

HappyinVT — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:44:38 GMT

The other side runs for re-election.